Fixing Low Water Pressure from a Well
Struggling with low water pressure in your new home on a well? Learn causes, testing steps, and solutions like filters, pump checks, and booster pumps.
Low water pressure in a new home can be frustrating, especially when the system was poorly installed. A family in North Carolina built a custom home with a private well but quickly found plumbing issues. The builder failed to install a sediment filter, which caused clogs in fixtures and even the tankless water heater. Although a 50-micron automatic flushing filter was later added, the water pressure still drops significantly when running a sprinkler.
The home has a 44-gallon pressure tank, a cutoff switch at 70 psi, and a Grundfos 5 SQ10-360 pump rated at 4.4–5.0 gpm. Pressure falls to about 20 psi after running a sprinkler for ten minutes. To make matters worse, sediment quickly blocks the filter. This raises important questions about diagnosing well systems, pressure regulation, and possible upgrades.
Question:
Why does a new well system have low water pressure at moderate flow, and what are the best ways to fix it?
Answer:
The most common causes of low well pressure are clogged filters, undersized pumps, low static water levels, or pressure switch issues. First, test by running water with the filter temporarily removed. If pressure improves, the sediment problem must be addressed with better filtration, such as a two-stage system with a spin-down filter followed by a finer cartridge. If the pump cannot maintain pressure during moderate flow, check that it is set deep enough in the well. An undersized pump may need replacement or a booster pump to meet irrigation demands.
Since this property has half an acre of water, installing programmable sprinkler manifolds and multiple above-ground sprinklers can save time. When choosing equipment, look for sprinklers designed for low-pressure systems. A booster pump paired with an upgraded filter setup can help stabilize flow.
For more details, see this Family Handyman guide on increasing water pressure. You may also review this EPA resource on private wells.
I’m Chris Mayer, writing for Plumbing 101.
